Cross slide feed control mechanism



March 20, 1956 M. M. ABBOTT 2,733,695

CROSS SLIDE FEED CONTROL MECHANISM Filed June 2, 1952 r 6 Sheets-Sheet l l M l INVENTOR MILES M-RBDOTT B March 1955 M. M. ABBOTT CROSS SLIDE FEED CONTROL MECHANISM 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1952 INVENTOR MILES IABOTT HTTY March 20, 1956 M. M. ABBOTT 2,738,695

CROSS SLIDE FEED CONTROL MECHANISM Filed June 2, 1952 e Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR MILES M HBBOTT M HTTY March 20, 1956 ABBQTT CROSS SLIDE FEED CON'I ROL MECHANISM 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 2, 1952 in 0 T NB Wm M 5 E 1 Y B March 20, 1956 ABBOTT 2,738,695

CROSS SLIDE FEED CONTROL MECHANISM Filed June 2, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR MILES M HDEOTT BY March 20, 1956 M. M. ABBOTT 2,733,595

CROSS SLIDE FEED CONTROL MECHANISM Filed June 2, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet 6 4 725 a, \\\\\=i n\ 85 1012 INVENTOR MILES M- ABBOTT BY W RTTY United States Patent cnoss SLIDE FEED CONTROL MECHANISM Miles M. Abbott, Chicago, Ill. Application June 2, 1952, Serial No. 291,130

Claims. on. 82-24) This invention relates to improvements in cross slide feed control mechanism for lathes and ,it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed .out in the appended claims. The improved control isherein illustrated and will 'beherein described as employed in connection with the cross slide mechanism of .a conventional turret lathe but obviously the control may also be arsed in connection with 'the cross slide mechanism of other .types of lathes.

In certain makes .of conventional turret lathes, at least the initial and major portion .of the feed ,of the tool post carrying cross slide .on its carriage, toward the workpiece in the spindle ,of the headstock, is afforded from the main drive shaft or rod through gearing that includes a lever controlled clutch means. When the 'tool reaches an approximated position relative to the workpiece in the spindle, the clutch is released by manual operation ofjits control lever and the final part of the feed is afforded by a manuallyoperated hand wheel to place the tool in operative position relative to said workpiece.

While such a lathe usually includes certain index calibrations and pointers to guide the operator in producing the final part of such feed, as the tolerances are quite close, errors in judgment resulting in over or under adjustment occur so that uniformity in finished work pieces is not possible. Thus, upon final inspection of, the work pieces, many are rejected as either over or under tolerances provided by specification of the finished work pieces and such reiectionsresult in an economic waste of material and labor, which is' reflected in the .cost of such work pieces.

One .of the objects ,of the present invention is to provide simple and efiicient means for positively and accurately stopping the feed .of the tool toward each work piece operated upon so that uniformity in finished work piece is assured and thereby avoidin economic waste resulting from the rejection of work pieces as .over and under the specified dimensions and the tolerances.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a lathe of this kind, simple and elficient means that eliminate error upon the part of the operator, increases speed in production Without extra cost, relieves the operator of considerable manual eifort, thereby reducing fatigue and affording more time for caliper inspection of the work pieces for a better control of Such inaccuracy .as may be due to wear of the cutting tool carried by the tool post.

Also it is an object of the invention to provide a tool feed control that may be readily incorporated in the manufacture .of the lathe or may be readily applied as an attachment to the tool feed mechanism of lathes now in service.

The above mentioned objects of the invention along with others as well as the advantages thereof will more fully appear as he specification proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the mid Portion of a turret lathe in which is embodied the preferred form of cross slide feed control mechanism.

Fig.2 is a side elevation of the cross slide carriage of the lathe and parts thereon, appearing in themid portion of Fig. 1 but on a scale enlarged thereover.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the cross slide and its carriage, in the plane of the feed screw forthe slide as taken on the line 3-3 and on substantially the scale of Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary substantially horizontal sectional view through parts appearing in Fig. '2 as taken on the line 44 and on a scale enlarged over that of said Fig. 2, with certain parts of the control mechanism omitted fora better showing of the drive for the feed screw of the cross slide.

Fig. 5 is a view in end elevation of parts appearing in the right hand portion of Fig. 2 when viewed in the direction of the arrows 55 on said Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal detail sectional view as taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5 and which will be more fully referred to later.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of parts appearing in the lower left hand corner of Fig. 3 but on a scale enlarged thereover and more particularly shows the plunger arrangement for a switch actuating mechanism which will be more fully described later.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view through parts appearing in Fig. 3 as taken on the line 8-8 thereof.

Fig. 9 'is a detail sectional view through parts appearing in Fig. 2, as taken on the line 9-9 thereof.

Fig. 10 is a view of a modified form of mechanism that may be advantageously employed in the feed control when the cross slide is to carry more than one cutting tool.

Fig. 11 is a detail vertical sectional view through parts appearing in Fig. 10 as taken on the line 11-11 thereof. Fig. 12 is a top view of parts appearing in Fig. 11.

In general the improved mechanism is herein shown and will be herein described as embodied in the feed and traverse of the tool post carrying cross slide relative to its carriage forming a pait of a conventional type of turret lathe and disposed between the turret and the headstock thereof. The feed and traverse movement of the tool post relatively to its carriage is afforded through suitable gearing between the slide and the main drive or feed rod of the lathe and in which gearing is located a clutch that is lever actuated by the operator not only to afford such movement for the tool post cross slide but to start and stop such movement. Also in such a lathe there is usually included a hand wheel mechanism whereby the operator may feed the tool post carriage manually and independently of the gearing, while the clutch thereof is in neutral, into its final operating position relatively to the work piece carried and rotated by the head stock.

The improved cross feed slide control mechanism is adapted, after it has been adjusted and set for a particular work piece, to eliminate the manual shifting of the clutch in the driving gearing for the cross slide, to neutral position in order to afford a stoppage of the driving means for the tool post slide on its carriage and also to eliminate the manual feed of the slide on its carriage, under the judgment and skill of the operator toward the work piece operated upon. Such mechanism is electrically controlled to stop the power feed for the tool post slide toward the work piece when the tool carried thereby is in the predetermined operative position. After the completion of a work piece operation, the operator restarts the lathe for another work piece operation without resetting any part of the mechanism. Thus as errors created by human judgment are eliminated, uniformity of shape and dimension, as well as accuracy of work pieces, is assured.

The improved cross slide control mechanism is herein shown as embodied in a conventional type of turret lathe that includes a bed 15, suitably supported by upright legs or columns 16 and 17. Mounted on one end of the bed is the headstock l8 and mounted for longitudinal movement on the other end of the bed is the turret carriage 19 and between said headstock and turret carriage is located the tool post carriage 20 which is also mounted on the bed for longitudinal movement.

The headstock 18 contains the power drive and shift mechanism for the lathe spindle 18a which is journalled in the headstock and is disposed longitudinally of the lathe as a whole. A suitable motor (not shown) drives the mechanism in the headstock and also drives a shaft 21 that extends longitudinally along the front side of the bed 15. The lathe further includes mechanism (not shown) suitably connected to the shaft 21 for actuating the turret carriage in its movement longitudinally of the bed, toward and away from the headstock for presenting the various tools carried by the turret 22 to the work piece held in and rotated by the spindle 18a.

Fixed to the front of the bed above the shaft 21 is a feed rack 15a and the tool post carriage includes a hand wheel 23 for turning a pinion (not shown) that is operatively engaged with the rack and whereby the tool post carriage may be moved longitudinally of the bed in either direction. This carriage has mounted therein a post 24 which carries the usual tool for performing certain operations upon the work piece (not shown) in the headstock spindle 18a.

The tool post carriage has suitably mounted on the top thereof a cross slide 25 (see Fig. 3) which supports the tool post 24 for movement transversely of the bed in either direction to engage the tool (not shown) carried by the post to the work piece rotating with the spindle 18a of the headstock.

This movement of the cross slide 25 on its carriage 20 is afforded in either direction by suitable gearing including clutches, driven in either direction from the shaft 21 regardless of the position of the carriage 2%) on the bed.

The gearing just above mentioned includes a pair of horizontally disposed shafts and 31 respectively which extend transversely of and are journalled in the carriage and which best appear in Fig. 4. The shaft 30 is provided at one end with a driving pinion 32 and fixed to said shaft is a spur gear 33 forming a part of a clutch 34. The pinion 32 is driven by suitable gearing (not shown) from the shaft 21. Loose on this shaft 30 is another spur gear forming another part of the clutch 34. When the clutch 34 is in its engaged position the gear 35 turns with the spur gear 33. The gear 33 has meshing therewith a pinion 36 disposed upon a transverse shaft 37 journalled in the carriage 20 and which is provided with a hand wheel (not shown) and by which the pinion 36 may be caused to turn the gear 33 when the pinion 32 on the shaft 30 is not being power driven from the shaft 2).. On that end of the shaft 30 opposite the pinion 32 is journalled a collar 40 which is provided with a lever 41 for turning the same and this collar is provided with a cam surface 42 for cooperation with a fixed cam surface 43 on the cross slide carriage. When this collar is turned in one direction it functions to engage the clutch under the action of a spring (not shown) and forming a part thereof so that the gear 35 is driven from the shaft 30. When this collar is turned in the other direction, this disengages the clutch so that the gear 35 remains idle even though the shaft 30 is being driven.

Loose on the shaft 31 is a gear 45 and a sleeve 46, the sleeve including a pinion 47 which meshes the gear 35 to be driven thereby. The gear 45 and the sleeve 46 carry coacting parts 48-49 of a clutch and by which the gear 45 may be operatively connected to and disconnected from the sleeve. An expansion spring 50 is disposed between the clutch parts 4849 and tends normally to disconnect said parts.

A collar 51 is journalled on the outer end of the shaft 31 and it is provided with a radially extending lever 52 and journalled in this lever for a rocking movement is an extension 52a that carries a handle 53 and whereby rocking movement may be applied to the lever 52 between positions hereinafter mentioned. The collar 51 and adjacent part of the cross slide carriage have coacting surfaces 54 providing a cam action when the lever 52 is swung about the axis of the shaft. When the lever 52 is swung upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2, the surfaces 54 cause an engagement of the clutch parts and when said lever is swung downwardly and back into the position shown in said Fig. 2, this causes a disengagement of said clutch parts. The lever 52 and a part of the cross slide carriage, are formed with coacting parts for releasably holding the lever 52 in its raised position and wherein the clutch parts 4349 are engaged. Said parts include a recess nut Zita that is threaded into a part of the carriage 20 and this nut carries an adjustable pin 26.) which determines the effective depth in the nut.

The lever 52 carries a transversely extending plunger 52b so arranged as to line up with the recess nut 20:: and its pin 20b when the lever is swung upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2. This plunger is backed up by a spring 520 and normally urges the plunger into the recess nut, as best appears in Fig. 9. The plunger is provided in one side with a recess 52d and the extension 52a is cut away in a part of its length to provide a toothlike portion 522 that engages in the recess 52b, the rocking movement of the extension 52 being limited in one direction by means of an adjustable stop pin 52f carried by the lever and best appearing in Fig. 9. It is to be noted that the front face of the nut 20a is bevelled off as at 200. When the lever 52 is swung upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1, the plunger 52b strikes the bevelled off surface and is caused to move outwardly against the action of the spring 520 so that it will snap into the recess of the nut 20a and whereby the lever 52 is releasably held in that position affording the engaged position of the clutch parts 48-49.

When the actuating arm 53 is engaged by the hand of the operator and rocked in one direction, the extension 52a retracts the plunger 52b from its recess in the nut 20a and so that the lever 52 may be swung downwardly to provide a disengagement of the clutch parts 48-49.

The gear 45 meshes with a pinion 55 on a feed screw 56 journalled in and extending transversely of the cross slide carriage and which feed screw best appears in Fig. 3. The inner end 57 of said feed screw is threaded and extends through a nut 58 carried by and fixed to a part of the cross slide 25. The outer end of the feed screw is provided with a hand wheel 60 and handle 61 and the hub 60a of said wheel is fixed to the feed screw 56 by means of a screw 60b which best appears in Fig. 8. As the hand wheel is fixed to the screw 56 it will turn with the feed screw when it is being driven by the gear 45. When the clutch parts 4849 are disconnected from each other so that the gear 45 is inoperative to drive the feed screw through the pinion 55, then the feed screw 56 may be turned in either direction by means of the hand wheel to impart a movement to the slide 25 in either direction across the carriage and whereby the tool carried by the tool post is moved toward or away from the work piece in the spindle of the headstock.

The structure before described is standard in certain makes of conventional turret lathes and no claim is made thereto. However, applicants invention is so designed as to be used in connection therewith and whereby to automatically and instantly disengage the clutch parts 48-49 and thereby stop the traverse movement of the tool post slide on the carriage. While applicants invention is herein shown as applied to the tool post carriage feed of a lathe in service, it can also be built into such a lathe in the course of its manufacture.

In a lathe structure as above described, the operation of the lever 52 to disconnect the clutch parts 48-49 and stop the power'feed to the feed screw 56 (through gear 49 and pinion 55) is performed manually by the operator through said lever and thereafter further and final movement of the cross slide is manually made by turning the hand wheel 60 and feed screw 56. Thus even with a skillful operator, tioned, there are chances of human errors arising so that the hand feed of the cross slide and the post withits tool is either over or under the tolerances permitted for the piece of work being made and held in the spindle.

In accordance with the invention certain parts are e. ployed in connection with the above described mechanism which may be selectively adusted so that the feed of the cross slide on its carriage is carried out entirely under the action of power that drives the feed shaft and so that movement of the cross slide is stopped at the same point in each operation thereofwhereby uniformity and accuracy of work pieces is afforded and at the same time calibrated tests are reduced in number for the work pieces.

The shaft 56 is disposed in a passageway 65 in the cross slide carriage 20 and disposed in said passageway, one at each side of the pinion 55 is a seal 66 and bushing-like bearings 67 respectively which appear in Fig. 3. The front end of this passageway is closed by the hub 68 of circular plate 69 which is fixed to the carriage by a screw 69a and which best appears in Fig. 3. At the ends of the hub 68 of said plate 69 are inner and outer bearings 70-71 for the associated end of the feed screw, the hub 60:: of the hand wheel 60 engaging the outer bearing. Said hub carries a set screw 60b by which the hand wheel 60 is detachably secured to the feed screw or shaft 56. Secured to the back of the plate 69 is a bracket 72, to the bottom end of the outer face of which is secured a switch 73 having anupright actuating stem 74.

76 indicates a calibrated dial arranged to the front of the plate 69 and said dial has a-hub 76a that is mounted on the hub 60a of the hand wheel 60. An outer ring 77 is mounted for a limited turning movement upon an inner ring 77x, which in turn is mounted upon the hub 76a of the dial and said inner ring may be locked to the hub of the dial by set screws 76c to which access is had through openings 770 in the outer ring. By loosening said screws, the inner ring may be turned into different angular positions on the dial hub and then looked thereto by tightening said screws. The dial hub and the inner and outer rings have suitable openings 71d therein which when brought into register afiford access to the screw 60b by which the hub of the hand wheel is locked to the feed screw or shaft 56. l

The inner ring 7716 is provided with a radial arm 76b that is normally disposed in a housing 78 on the outer ring.

The top of the housing 78 carries a pointer 78a for cooperation with the calibrations on the dial 76 and threaded'through opposite sides of the housing are screws 80, the inner ends of which engage the arm 7612 on the inner ring 77x. By loosening one screw 80 and by tightening the other screw 80, the ring 77 may be adjusted into different angular positions for its extension 77a relative to the hub of the dial and the'hand wheel. By the use of the pointer in connection with the calibrations on the dial 76, a micrometer-like adjustment for the ring relative to the hub 60a of the dial may be had.

As best shown in Fig. 7, the arm 77a of the ring 77 carries a plunger 81 that slides in a bore 82 provided therefor in said arm and extending parallel with the axis of the shaft 56. This plunger includes a finger piece 83 that extends out through a slot 84 in said arm so that the V finger piece is disposed for actuation by the operator. The inner end of said plunger carries an enlargement 85. In the arm, opposite the slot 84 is located a spring pressed friction shoe-like pin 86 that so bears against the plunger as to prevent its too free movement and whereby the plunger will remain in either its in or on position to which ithas been moved through actuation of the finger carefully watching the index later inen- 6 piece. The parts just described are best shown in Fig. 7. This plunger is shown in its out" position in Fig. 3 wherein it is to be noticed that when the ring 77 is turned the enlargement 85 of the plunger is free to pass the switch stem 74 without actuating the same. Said plunger is shown in its in position in Fig. 7 wherein the enlargement 85 of the plunger is disposed'in the plane of the stem 74 of the switch 73. When in this position, when the ring 77 is turned said enlargement, being disposed in the plane of said stern, willengage and actuate the switch stern 74. The length of this in and out movement of the plunger is controlled by the movement of the finger piece '83 in the slot 84.

It is obvious that when the plunger is in its out position, that the feed screw 56, hand wheel 60, dial 76 and ring 77 may turn or rotate through several revolutions without actuating the switch 74 because the enlargement 85 of the plunger is out of the path of the switch stem.

However, when the plunger is in its in position wherein its enlargement is disposed in the plane of the switch stem, said enlargement will in the turning of the parts above mentioned, engage the stem to actuate the switch.

Mounted on the right hand side of the slide carriage is a shelf-like bracket 90 upon which is supported a solenoid '91, the armature 92 of which is arranged parallel with the screw 56. The front end of this armature carries a yoke 93 in which is a transverse slot 94 into and through which extends a stem 95 fixed to and depending from the extension 52 of the lever 52 before mentioned. This solenoid is controlled by the switch 74 and when it is energized, it is retracted inwardly and through the stem 45 and arm 53 and will rock the lever 52 so as to cause a disengagement between the clutch parts 4849 and thus cut off power to the gearing mentioned, Thus the solenoid controls the disengagement by the clutch parts. Re-engagernent of the clutch parts is only accomplished by the operator lifting upwardly upon the lever 52.

After the plunger enlargement 85 has engaged and actuated the switch "stem '74, the operator turns the hand wheel to cause a traverse movement of the slide for the next operation and in this movement, the plunger enlargement 85 (after about 180 of movement of the hand Wheel) engages a cam 100 (see Fig. 3) at the top of the plate 72 which returns the plunger to the out position appearing in Fig. 3. Thus, it is obvious that the operator moves the plunger 85 manually only to its in position, the return of the plunger to its out position'being produced automatically by the cam 100.

The construction above described is especially adapted for a tool post that carries only a single cutting tool for the control thereof. Where the tool slide'is to carry a number of cutting tools it is necessary to provide a multiple 7 arrangement with a control plunger for each tool and each plunger must be adjustable within certain limits and such a structure best appears in Figs. 10, 11 and 12 respectively.

In said figures and disc-like dial 76 and its hub 76a is mounted on the hub 60:: of the hand wheel as before mentioned, which dial has an undercut channel 101, a bevelled face 102 and a peripheral face or edge 103 formed with calibrations 104. A plurality (in this case 3) of plunger supports 104-405 and 106, all of the same construction, are mounted on the front face of the dial, with the inner ends thereof made arcuate to fit upon the hub 76a of the dial 76. Each support has a longitudinal passageway 82a therein in which is slidably mounted a plunger 81a that has an enlarged head a at its inner '7 have threaded engagement in the clamping member 107. When these screws are tightened they act through the clamping member to draw the associated support into tight clamping engagement with the dial.

When any of the pl-ungers 81a in the supports 104 165 and 196 is in its out position, the enlargement 85a thereof is disposed within the plane of the switch stem 74. When the dial 76 is turned with the hand wheel 60 in either direction the plunger will actuate the switch as before and then when it engages the cam 100 as before, it will be returned to its retracted position. Such a structure may be used with either one, two or three tools in the tool post either by making all three of them active or leaving the desired ones in the inactive position as is obvious.

In the operation of the device, before setting the control mechanism for the job to be accomplished, requiring the use of a tool post with a single cutting tool and assuming that a sample or test work piece is engaged in the head stock, the procedure is as follows:

The initial cut to be made before a setting of the mechanism, must be made manually, until the correct depth of cut has been determined as nearly exactly as possible, regardless of tolerances. This, of course, is done while the headstock is rotating the work piece, the feed of the tool being made by the use of the hand wheel 60 and with the lever 52 in the position shown in Fig. 2 and wherein the clutch parts 43-49 are disengaged.

After the initial out has been made in the work piece, the cutter is then removed from the work by a reverse movement of the hand wheel and then the cutter is returned to the work piece, the operator keeping count of turns necessary to reach the completed work face. Power is disengaged from the spindle and from the slide feed mechanism and the cutter is then returned by turning the dial 76 through the hand wheel until the cutter rests firmly against the work cut.

The clutch parts 48-49. are engaged by lifting upwardly on the lever 52 until the plunger 52b snaps into the recess in the nut Zita. The screws 760 are loosened to release the mechanism on the dial and the plunger 81 is then pushed inwardly so as to dispose the head 35 thereof in the path of the switch stem 74.

The control mechanism parts including the dial 76 and the ring 77 are then slowly turned jointly in the same direction as when making the initial cut in the work piece. As soon as the plunger head 85 engages the switch stem '74, the turning movement of said parts is stopped. The slide clutch parts 48-49 are then released and the screws 76a are then actuated to relock the parts of the control mechanism.

The bar stock from which the work piece is made may be moved forwardly through the spindle and which is gripped thereby so as to rotate therewith. The spindle is then connected up to the driving mechanism of the lathe so as to be rotated thereby and the clutch parts 4849 are caused to engage. When the dial 76 is making the last turn to complete the work piece and the plunger head 85 has cleared the cam 100 so as to be returned to neutral, the plunger 81 is then moved inwardly by the operator. The instant the plunger head engages the switch stem the solenoid 91 is energized and retracts its armature which swings the lever 52 downwardly to disconnect the clutch parts 4-8-49 so that the forward feed of the tool post slide is discontinued. The moment this occurs the operator, through the hand wheel, causes a tranverse movement of the slide to its inoperative position.

The spindle 18a is then disconnected from the drive mechanism and stops, and at this time a micrometer may be used to test the cut to see if it is correct and if it is not correct to determine the exact amount of the error.

The dial is then turned until its pointer indicates thereon. The screws 76c are then loosened and the control mechanism as a whole is then turned relatively to the hub 60a in the direction necessary to increase or decrease the '8 travel of the slide and by using the pointer 78a on the control mechanism and the graduations on the dial 76, the exact location of the control mechanism on the hand wheel hub 60a may be determined after which the screws 76c are again tightened to lock the mechanism to the hand wheel hub.

This sets the mechanism for the particular work piece being made and the operator then knowns the number of turns the hand wheel must make to complete an operation of said work piece. Thereafter, assuming the tool post slide has completed its traverse or return movement, the operator swings the lever 52 upwardly and this engages the clutch parts 48-49 so that the tool post slide is power driven forwardly through the screw 56 which in turn rotates the hand wheel and parts of the control mechanism carried on its hub. In this movement of the parts, the plunger 81 is in its retracted position so that its head 85 is not disposed in the path of the switch stem 74. Thus, in the rotation of the parts, the plunger is not in its switch stem operating position.

On the last known turn of the hand wheel, the operator pushes the plunger 81 inwardly to bring its head 35 into the plane of the switch stem '74 and then during the final part of the last turn of the hand wheel the head of the plunger 85 will engage the switch stem 74 and actuate the switch 75. This will then energize the solenoid 91 which through its armature 92, yoke 93 will first rock the extension 52 to release the plunger 52]) from the recess nut and then exert a downward pull on the lever. Such a movement or pull on the lever will disengage the clutch parts 48 and 49 with an instant stoppage of the power feed to the feed screw 56. At this time the operation on the work piece will have been completed.

Thereafter, a new work piece is presented in the spindle and the operator then turns the hand wheel in the direction opposite that in which it had been driven to provide the traverse feed for the tool post slide. In the first turn of said hand wheel in said opposite direction the head 85 of the plunger 81, will engage the cam and will be returned to its inoperative position wherein said head is out of the way of the stem 74 of the switch. The operator then initiates the next operation of the lathe by imparting a lifting up movement to the lever 52 until its plunger releasably engages in the recess nut as before.

This engages the clutch parts 4849 so that the feed of the screw 56 is again power produced and after the hand wheel 60 goes into its last turn the plunger 81 is moved inwardly by the operator so that it is in a position when it reaches the switch stem 74 to again actuate the same and produce an instant stoppage thereof at the instant of completion of the operation of the work piece in the spindle.

It is to be pointed out at this time that under ordinary circumstances no further adjustment of the control mechanism on the hand wheel hub is necessary. However, if the cutter employed in the tool post dulls or wears down, the knowledge thereof will be developed in the periodic micrometer inspection of work piece, and a further adjustment of the mechanism on the hand wheel hub will be necessary in order to compensate for the wear on the tool. In this manner accuracy of work will be afforded throughout the run on the piece operated upon.

When more than one cutter is to be used in the tool post, the mechanism of Figs. 10, 11 and 12 will be employed with each member 104-105 and 106 set in the proper order about the dial and which need not be set at equal angular distances apart as such members are shown in Fig. 10. By a suitable indicia such as distinguishing numbers for each of said members 104, 105

and 106, they may be set in sequence to facilitate their selection.

I claim as my invention:

1. A cross slide feed control mechanism for a lathe comprising in combination with a carriage of said lathe, a tool post cross slide mounted on said carriage for movement transversely thereof, toward and fnway from the selected operative position of-the tool relative to the work piece operated upon, power driven means movable with the carriage, a shaft journalled in the carriage and extending in the direction of the movement of the cross slide, means carried by slide and engaged with said shaft for translating the rotation of the latter into a movement of the slide longitudinally -of said shaft, manual means operable in one direction to connect "said power driven means to :said shaft so as to rotatively drive the latter and movable in the other direction to disconnect said power driven means from said shaft to stop its rotation, a hand wheelsecured to said shaft for turning the same in either direction to afforda feed or traverse :movement thereof when said shaft .isdiseonnected from said power driven means, a dial having index markings and a hub mounted on the hand wheel and turnable relative thereto into different relative angular positions thereon, an annular member mounted on the hub of the dial, a ring mounted on said annular member, means carried by ring and cooperating with the index on said dial providingja micrometer rotative adjustment of the ring on said annular member, electrically operable means for moving said manual means in said other direction, and means carried by said ring and including a device movable from an out of use position into a position for actuating said electrically operable means to be engaged by said device for moving the latter into said out of use position.

2. A cross slide feed control mechanism for a lathe 7 comprising in combination with a carriage of said lathe,

a tool post cross slide mounted on said carriage for movement transversely thereof, toward and away from the selected operative position of the tool relative to the work piece operated upon, power driven means movable with the carriage, a shaft journalled in the carriage and extending in the direction of the movement of the cross slide, means carried by the slide and engaged with said shaft for translating the rotation of the latter into a movement of the slide longitudinally of said shaft, manual means operable in one direction to connect said power driven means to said shaft so as to rotatively drive the latter and movable in the other direction to disconnect said power driven means from said shaft to stop its rotation, a hand wheel secured to said shaft for turning the same in either direction to afford a feed or traverse movement thereof when said shaft is disconnected from said power driven means, a dial having index markings'and a hub mounted on the hand wheel and turnable relative thereto into different relative angular positions thereon, an annular member mounted on the hub of the dial, a ring mounted on said annular member, means carried by ring and cooperating with the index on said dial providing a micrometer rotative adjustment of the ring on said annular member, electrically operable means for moving said manual means in said other direction, and means carried by said ring and including a device movable from an out of use position into a position for actuating said electrcally operable means in one of the rotations of the hand wheel in one direction, and means carried by said carriage and adapted in the rotation of the hand wheel in either direction, after actuating said electrically operable means, to be engaged by said device for moving the latter into said out of use position.

3. A cross slide feed control mechanism for a lathe comprising in combination with a carriage of said lathe, a tool post cross slide mounted on said carriage for movement transversely thereof, toward and away from the selected operative position of the tool relative to the work piece operated upon, power driven means movable With' the carriage, a shaft journalled in the carriage and extending in the direction of the movement of the cross slide, means carried by the slide and engaged with said shaft for translating the rotation of the latter into a movement of the slide longitudinally of said shaft, manual means operable in one direction to connect said power driven means to said shaft so as to rotatively drive the latter and movable in the other direction to disconnect said power driven means from said shaft to stop its rotation, a hand wheel secured tosaid shaft for turning the same in either direction to afford a feed or traverse movement thereof when said shaft is disconnected from said power driven means, a dial having index markings and a hub mounted on the hand wheel and turnable relative thereto into different relative angular positions thereon, an annularmernber mounted on the hub of the dial, a ring mounted on said annular memben'rnean's carried byring andc'oope'rating with the index on said dial providing a micrometer rotative adjustment of the ring on said annular member, electrically operable means for movingsaid manual means in said other direction, a switch on said carriage for controlling said electrically operable means, and means carried by said ring and including a device movable from an out of use position into a position for actuating "said switch in one of the rotations of the hand wheel in one direction. 4. Across slide feed control mechanism for a lathe comprising in combination with a carriage of said lathe, atool post cross slide mounted on said carriage for movement transversely thereof, toward and away from the selected operative position for the tool relative to the work piece operated upon, power driven means movable with the carriage, a shaft journalled in the carriage, extending in the direction of the movement of the cross slide and having an outer end terminating outwardly of one end of the cross slide, means carried by the slide and engaged with said shaft for translating the rotation of the latter into a movement of the slide longitudinally of said shaft, a clutch actuatable to cause said power driven means to impart rotary motion to said shaft and to free the shaft from being driven by said power driven means, a hand wheel secured to the outer end of said shaft for turning the shaft in either direction when said shaft is disconnected from said power driven means, manually operable mechanism for actuating said clutch, said mechmeans for actuating said electrically operable means, said electrically operable means and the actuating means therefor including structure secured to the carriage and other structure secured to rotate with the hand wheel, the latter having an axis of rotation common to that of the hand wheel, one of said last two mentioned structures also including structure manually shiftable from an inoperative position to a position causing actuation of the electrically operable means at a predetermined peripheral point in' any of a number of selected rotations of the hand wheel, and means fixed to the carriage for automatically returning said shiftable means to inoperative position after it hassbeen manually shifted to operative position.

5. A cross slide feed control mechanism for a lathe comprising in combination with a carriage of said lathe, a tool post cross slide mounted on said carriage for movement transversely thereof, toward and away from the selected operative position for the tool relative to the work piece operated upon, power driven means movable with the carriage, a shaft journalled in the carriage, extending in the direction of the movement of the cross slide and having an outer end terminating outwardly of one end of the cross slide, means carried by the slide and engaged with said shaft for translating the rotation of the latter into a movement of the slide longitudinally of said shaft, a clutch actuatable to cause said power driven means to impart rotary motion to said shaft and to free the shaft from being driven by said power driven means, a hand wheel secured to the outer end of said shaft for turning the shaft in either direction when said shaft is disconnected from said power driven means, manually operable mechanism for actuating said clutch, said mechanism including an arm positioned outwardly of said cross slide adjacent said hand wheel and mounted for manual swinging movement whereby when swung in one direction said clutch is actuated to connect said power driven means to drive said shaft and when swung in the other direction operates to disconnect said drive, electrically operable means for causing swinging movement of said arm from a position which it occupies when the clutch connects to power driven means to drive said shaft to the position it occupies when the clutch is disconnected, and means for actuating said electrically operable means, said electrically operable means and the actuating means therefor including structure secured to the carriage and structure secured to rotate with the hand wheel, the latter having an axis of rotation common to that of the hand wheel, the structure secured to rotate with the hand wheel also including means manually shitftable from an inoperative position to a position causing actuation of the electrically operable means at a predetermined peripheral point in any of a number of selected rotations of the hand Wheel, and means fixed to the carriage for automatically returning shiftable means to inoperative position after it has been manually shifted to operative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 703,065 Hoifmann June 24, 1902 789,660 Keating May 9, 1905 1,072,484 Miller Sept. 9, 1913 1,695,359 Bath Dec. 18, 1928 1,728,220 Strauss et a1 Sept. 17, 1929 2,032,597 Shaw Mar. 3, 1936 2,362,275 Jacobs Nov. 7, 1944 2,370,580 Pyne Feb, 27, 1945 2,386,014 Takac Oct. 2, 1945 2,395,586 Scott Feb. 26, 1946 2,558,275 Siekmann et al June 26, 1951 2,582,610 Swainey Jan. 15, 1952 

